This was one of last bottles of Wine I enjoyed before making my move from New York to Florida. A very light and enjoyable wine, it was quite reminiscent of a Rosé . I selected this bottle with the intention of paying homage to a place I love and miss dearly. This wine is local to Long Island, NY from a winery in the North Fork area. Abv: 12.5%

This was a win for me. Mildly aromatic and fresh with hints of peach; a perfect example of how I like my Sauvignon Blanc to smell and taste. I purchased this gem of a bottle at a local wine shop in Long Island, NY for just under $10. Abv: 12.5%

Winston’s offers small plates with a diverse selection of food, so there’s a little something for everyone. Great service, and the outdoor setting is chic with mini lanterns lining the tops of the surrounding greenery.

I enjoyed this wine as the summer night unfolded a much needed rain storm. What goes well with wine, rainand the night? Obviously, a black and white movie. For this particular occasion it was, “The Most Dangerous Game” featured on TCM paired with a bottle of 2012 Trimbach Riesling.

This is a cinematic tale of the hunter becoming the hunted where the main character is eventually humbled by his epiphany when he says, “The animals I hunted; now I know how they felt…” Creepy and Gothic factors in this film include the scheming Russian Count, a doorknocker that features a wounded beast holding its female victim, and a massive tapestry inside the Count’s castle with a brutal looking centaur in the jungle with its human prey.

I was moved by a line said in the beginning of the movie, as it reflects heavily on a number of wildlife concerns in the world today. “I was thinking of the inconsistency of civilization. The beast of the jungle, killing just for his existence, is called savage. The man, killing just for sport, is called civilized. It’s a bit inconsistent, isn’t it?”

I wish I was on the boat featured on the label sailing away into the sunset. I would pour myself a glass of wine and get lost in the waves of the ocean thinking about life. And with each sip, there would be an encouragement of epiphany eventually bringing my heart and mind together to make peace. All would be right with the world outside and the world within.

Enough day dreaming, back to the vino!

I remember the first time I had Sauvignon Blanc, it was love at first sip. It was lush with hints of Guava, Passion Fruit and Grapefruit. Admittedly, it was more of the Guava aroma that made me swoon; making me remember all the exotic and delicious fruits I grew up eating as a child in my beautiful homeland of Guyana. This particular wine wasn’t as aromatic as I was hoping it would be. Slight citrus taste, mild acidity, light and crisp; overall satisfying. Abv: 13.5%

This local Chardonnay was a gift that I decided to break open over the weekend. Cheers to the weekend! I chilled this for about 1.5 hours before drinking and it was the perfect complement to a hot night served with a light chicken dinner. All around enjoyable. No complaints.

“Crisp, lively Chardonnay with hints of pear and apple. Stainless steel fermented and aged on secondary lees for 8 months. A great wine at a great price. Superb when paired with lightly-seasoned fish, veal, poultry and cheeses.”

Since it was a special day and the weather had me feeling summertime fine, I decided to swap out my normal Sauvignon Blanc for a bottle of Chenin Blanc. I know…I like to live dangerously!

What caught my eye about this particular bottle was the blend of Viognier. I had this chilling for a little bit before I broke the seal. Just one sip and I knew it would be a staple for the summer months. Beautiful golden color and aromatic with melon and floral notes. A little acidic taste but all around enjoyable.

This was a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. I purchased this for a little under $11 (my memory is a work in progress-apologies!)

Chenin Blanc is often recommended if you like Chardonnay. Chardonnay isn’t my go to wine, but that’s because I never gave it a fair chance (something I plan to remedy)